Quotes for December 15

 Hi everyone, here are the quotes from my readwise stream this morning. Happy Sunday!

People often complain about the present times, but human life has never been better than it is now.

As Yuval Noah Harari states in Homo Deus:

"For the first time in history, more people die today from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old age than from infectious diseases; and more people commit suicide than are killed by soldiers, terrorists, and criminals combined."

Despite this progress, social divisions persist. These divisions often rely on "othering" narratives to uphold power structures within their domains—a phenomenon that could be described as "ontological blinkardness." Our institutional silos, our tendency to "other," and our self-centered thinking prevent us from making further progress.

Jim Sidanius and Felicia Pratto highlight this in Social Dominance:

"The split earlier in this century between sociology and social psychology contributed to these divisions and continues to hinder a more comprehensive and rich understanding of the problems of racism, sexism, classism, and general group oppression."

But perhaps, the issue isn’t just out there—maybe it’s me.

Anthony De Mello and J. Francis Stroud, in Awareness, suggest:

"We see people and things not as they are, but as we are. That is why when two people look at something or someone, you get two different reactions. We see things and people not as they are, but as we are."

On growing up, Lulu Miller offers a profound insight in Why Fish Don’t Exist:

"‘Growing up,’ she told me, ‘is learning to stop believing people’s words about you.’"

And maybe, it’s also about letting go. As Silvio Funtowicz said in a discussion on post-normal science advice:

"You have to abandon this idea that you can predict and you can control."

But wait, there's more

Breaking Ontological Silos Through the Zettelkasten Approach

Sönke Ahrens, in How to Take Smart Notes, describes how the Zettelkasten method disrupts traditional, siloed ways of thinking:

"That the slip-box is not sorted by topics is the precondition for actively building connections between notes. Connections can be made between heterogeneous notes – as long as the connection makes sense. This is the best antidote to the impeding way most information is given to us in our learning institutions. Most often, it comes in modular form, sorted by topic, separated by disciplines and generally isolated from other information. The slip-box is forcing us to do the exact opposite: To elaborate, to understand, to connect and therefore to learn seriously."

By avoiding rigid categorization, the Zettelkasten approach encourages a deeper understanding through the creation of meaningful connections, breaking down institutional silos that often isolate knowledge into disconnected disciplines.

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Understanding the Difference Between Chaotic and Complex Systems

Per Bak, in How Nature Works, explains the key difference between chaotic and complex systems:

"Chaotic systems have no memory of the past and cannot evolve."

This distinction helps clarify why chaotic systems remain unpredictable and stagnant, while complex systems—like human societies—retain memory and adapt over time.

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The Complexity of Humans and the World

The world is undeniably complex, as are humans. Yet, as Ben Ramalingam points out in Aid on the Edge of Chaos, we often try to impose simple solutions on deeply complex problems:

"Aid tends to try and solve simple problems through narrow, prescribed interventions."

This highlights a critical flaw in many systems of aid and intervention: they fail to account for the intricate, interconnected nature of the challenges they aim to address. 

Today's Public Service Post

I saw this in a CapitalOne email, and these two scams stood out to me as some of the newest and latest schemes that need to be highlighted.

“My family member sounded like they were in trouble.”

Impersonation of a loved one Scammers may use artificial intelligence or other technologies to mimic voices when impersonating a trusted individual or organization. On these calls, they often impersonate a loved one in an emergency who needs money fast, or a trusted business needing to verify sensitive information. New technology makes it increasingly difficult to tell fake video or audio clips from real ones.

Helpful tips

Listen for unnatural pauses or robotic speech. Question unexpected requests for personal or financial information. Always verify the caller’s identity—often a loved one claiming to be in trouble—through a trusted source. To protect yourself, you can set up a code word with loved ones for true emergencies.

“My bank called me about fraudulent transactions.”

Bank impersonation scams Scammers may pose as a financial institution, like Capital One, to try and gain access to your account. They often use a fake caller ID that shows up as the financial institution and claim you’ve had fraudulent transactions on your account. To resolve the situation the scammer will have you make payments to reverse the fraud and protect the account. They’ll also sometimes ask for your Social Security number, government ID, or a digitally sent one-time passcode (OTP) to gain access to your account. Once they gain unauthorized access to your account, the real fraudulent transactions begin.

Helpful tips

If you’re ever in doubt when speaking over the phone, hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Financial institutions will never ask you to purchase gift cards to make payments to your account. Never send money transfers or give the number on the back of a gift card to anyone you don’t know.

The Power of Listening and the Peril of Oversimplification

In a world buzzing with voices, the art of listening often takes a backseat. Kate Murphy, in You're Not Listening, reminds us that true listening goes beyond hearing words. "To listen well is to figure out what’s on someone’s mind and demonstrate that you care enough to want to know." This simple yet profound insight underscores a timeless truth: authentic connection comes not from speaking louder, but from listening better.

But what happens when this skill is absent in times of crisis? Robert O. Paxton’s reflection in The Anatomy of Fascism offers a stark warning. He writes, "For all these reasons, the economic crisis of the 1880s, as the first major depression to occur in the era of mass politics, rewarded demagoguery. Henceforth a decline in the standard of living would translate quickly into electoral defeats for incumbents and victories for political outsiders ready to appeal with summary slogans to angry voters."

The juxtaposition of these ideas reveals a critical tension. Listening fosters understanding and empathy; oversimplification preys on frustration and fear. In challenging times, the path we choose—to listen or to fall for easy slogans—shapes not only personal relationships but also the health of our democracy.

To navigate the complexity of modern life, perhaps we should take Murphy’s advice to heart: let’s listen with care, especially when the stakes are high. In doing so, we may resist the pull of demagoguery and instead create a space where nuanced solutions can flourish.

Quotes

"To listen well is to figure out what’s on someone’s mind and demonstrate that you care enough to want to know." 
–Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening

"For all these reasons, the economic crisis of the 1880s, as the first major depression to occur in the era of mass politics, rewarded demagoguery. Henceforth a decline in the standard of living would translate quickly into electoral defeats for incumbents and victories for political outsiders ready to appeal with summary slogans to angry voters." 
–Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

Exploring Paradigms: How Societies Decide What to Remember and What to Forget

Societies are shaped not just by the actions of their people but by the invisible frameworks that dictate what can be thought, remembered, and discussed. These paradigms—unwritten rules about what belongs in the social psyche—are influenced by collective anxieties, historical shifts, and the impulses that drive political movements. Examining the works of George Marshall, Heather Cox Richardson, and Robert Paxton reveals how these forces operate and evolve over time.

Denial and Anxiety: The Silent Architects of Paradigms

George Marshall, in Don't Even Think About It, explores how denial and anxiety are deeply interlinked. Societies, much like individuals, repress ideas that they cannot reconcile with their existing worldview. This repression stems from a collective need to avoid anxiety, leading to what could be described as societal cognitive dissonance.

As Marshall writes:
“They have a common basis in the need to avoid anxiety and defend ourselves. From a psychoanalytic perspective, denial and anxiety are closely linked. Things that cannot be assimilated are repressed.”

He builds on Stanley Cohen’s insights about societal agreements:
“Without being told what to think about (or what not to think about), and without being punished for ‘knowing’ the wrong things, societies arrive at unwritten agreements about what can be publicly remembered and acknowledged.”

In this way, controversial or uncomfortable subjects—such as climate change or systemic injustice—become marginalized not through censorship but through collective avoidance, creating a societal paradigm that prioritizes comfort over confrontation and stability over truth, while simultaneously entrenching blind spots that make transformative change more difficult.

Paradigm Shifts: Lessons from the Civil War Era

Heather Cox Richardson provides a contrasting perspective by examining moments when societal paradigms are deliberately reshaped. Writing about the Civil War era, Richardson highlights the transformation driven by the Republican Party under Abraham Lincoln. While the Confederacy sought to entrench hierarchical systems, the Republicans pursued a vision that prioritized the "common man" over established elites.

She explains:
“When the leaders of the Confederacy seceded to start their own nation based in their own hierarchical society, the Republicans in charge of the United States government were free to put their theory into practice. For a nominal fee, they sold farmers land that the government in the past would have sold to speculators; created state colleges, railroads, national money, and income taxes; and promoted immigration.”

These policies, which today might be categorized as social reforms, marked a profound shift in how the United States government engaged with its citizens. Richardson’s account reminds us that societal paradigms are not immutable. With vision and determination, they can be reconstructed to reflect new priorities—even amid deep political division. The Civil War era demonstrates how crises can catalyze the emergence of new frameworks that challenge entrenched hierarchies and expand opportunities.

The Fascist Impulse: Paradigms Rooted in Action

Robert Paxton, in The Anatomy of Fascism, explores another dynamic: the visceral urge that underpins fascist movements. Unlike paradigms that evolve slowly or are reshaped through deliberate action, fascism thrives on immediacy—an impulsive drive to protect and regenerate the nation against perceived threats.

As Paxton explains:
“Fascisms seek out in each national culture those themes that are best capable of mobilizing a mass movement of regeneration, unification, and purity, directed against liberal individualism and constitutionalism and against Leftist class struggle.”

This suggests that fascist paradigms are less about ideology and more about harnessing collective anxieties to spur action. They channel fear and uncertainty into a unifying narrative, often at the expense of individual freedoms and democratic norms.

Tying It Together: The Power and Fragility of Paradigms

Marshall, Richardson, and Paxton each highlight different aspects of how societal paradigms form, endure, or collapse. Marshall shows how denial and repression maintain stability at the cost of progress. Richardson demonstrates how visionary leadership can reshape paradigms to promote equity and opportunity. Paxton warns of the dangers when paradigms become dominated by reactionary impulses rather than thoughtful reform.

These perspectives challenge us to reflect on our own societal frameworks. What ideas are we repressing out of collective anxiety? What opportunities for transformation are we overlooking? And how can we guard against the rise of destructive impulses that exploit our fears?

Understanding how paradigms function is not just an academic exercise—it’s a call to action. By recognizing the invisible rules that shape our collective psyche, we gain the power to question them, reshape them, and, when necessary, break free from them.

Quotes

"they have a common basis in the need to avoid anxiety and defend ourselves. From a psychoanalytic perspective, denial and anxiety are closely linked. Things that cannot be assimilated are repressed. As Stanley Cohen wrote about human rights abuses, “Without being told what to think about (or what not to think about), and without being punished for ‘knowing’ the wrong things, societies arrive at unwritten agreements about what can be publically remembered and acknowledged.”

–George Marshall, Don't Even Think About It

"When the leaders of the Confederacy seceded to start their own nation based in their own hierarchical society, the Republicans in charge of the United States government were free to put their theory into practice. For a nominal fee, they sold farmers land that the government in the past would have sold to speculators; created state colleges, railroads, national money, and income taxes; and promoted immigration."
–heathercoxrichardson.substack.com, December 29, 2023

"Fascisms seek out in each national culture those themes that are best capable of mobilizing a mass movement of regeneration, unification, and purity, directed against liberal individualism and constitutionalism and against Leftist class struggle."
–Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

Good Morning, December 11

Where I am right now, it’s raining. Despite the weather, I still plan to head out for my run.

Today, I want to share two quotes that resonated with me from my Readwise feed. They touch on themes of kindness and complexity, offering thought-provoking insights into how we interact with ourselves, others, and the world around us.

1. On Kindness (Pema Chödrön, Start Where You Are)

The first quote is by Pema Chödrön and speaks to the power of kindness, particularly the importance of being kind to ourselves. It highlights how our self-treatment radiates outward, influencing our relationships with others. This idea is simple yet profound:

"By being kind to ourselves, we become kind to others. By being kind to others – if it’s done properly, with proper understanding – we benefit as well. So the first point is that we are completely interrelated. What you do to others, you do to yourself. What you do to yourself, you do to others."

This interconnectedness is a reminder that the way we treat ourselves sets the tone for how we engage with the world.

2. On Complexity and Catastrophic Shifts (Per Bak, How Nature Works)

The second quote comes from Per Bak's exploration of complexity in How Nature Works. It delves into the behavior of complex systems and the sudden, dramatic changes—what we often call catastrophes—that can occur within them.

Bak explains that much of the world operates as interconnected systems where small, incremental pressures can lead to stability over time. However, those same pressures, when combined or slightly altered, can suddenly push a system into a completely different state. This is what he describes as a "catastrophic shift."

Here’s the quote:

"If this picture is correct for the real world, then we must accept instability and catastrophes as inevitable in biology, history, and economics. Because the outcome is contingent upon specific minor events in the past, we must also abandon any idea of detailed long-term determinism or predictability. In economics, the best we can do, from a selfish point of view, is to shift disasters to our neighbors."

While the term “catastrophe” often implies disaster, in systems science, it simply refers to rapid, large-scale transformations. These shifts, sometimes called tipping points, can be either beneficial or detrimental. Positive transformations are often celebrated, while negative ones are viewed as crises.

This quote serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of complex systems and the importance of resilience and adaptability in navigating them.

December 10, 2024 – Quotes!

Good morning all! It's far too early on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Before my run this morning I'm going to offer you yet another set of quotes!

The first quote is from Robert O. Paxton's book The Anatomy of Fascism. It explores the mindset underlying fascism, characterized by the belief in a great leader uniquely capable of representing the nation and their group. Note its resonance with the notion expressed by a certain individual: "I alone can fix it."

"a national chief who alone is capable of incarnating the group’s destiny;"
–Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

The next quote is from Ben Ramalingam's book Aid on the Edge of Chaos. This book introduces what could be described as the "epistemic injustice" of development, offering a compelling critique of the unequal power dynamics within the aid industry. It underscores the extent to which Northern-based aid actors must strive to truly serve communities and support development that aligns with local contexts.

"Aid is produced by those at the top of the pipeline: donors, the rich, the developed. It is delivered by means of ‘experts’ and other ‘knowledgeable persons’ of the ‘pipeline’ down to ‘beneficiaries’ such as local development agents, policymakers, advisors, farmers, and researchers at the receiving end."
–Ben Ramalingam, Aid on the Edge of Chaos

The next quote serves as a reminder that unless you write something down or complete a task, it will occupy mental space—taking up mindshare that could otherwise drain your energy and focus throughout the day.

"Zeigarnik effect (Zeigarnik 1927), in which our brains tend to stay occupied with a task until it is accomplished (or written down)."
–Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes

I suppose I should group these quotes from one source together, but I haven't. Here, once again, we encounter the "epistemic injustice" of aid—a reminder of why it is crucial for aid actors to approach their work with greater care and consideration. When working with communities and individuals in developing contexts, we must reflect on what we represent, how we present ourselves, and, most importantly, our ultimate goals. These goals should always center on serving the community we aim to support, rather than advancing our careers or short-term programmatic objectives. If our programmatic goals do not align with the community's needs, it is the goals—not the community—that are flawed.

"Because power is knowledge, and power above all else seeks to sustain itself, we can see that the rhetoric around development knowledge—‘like light’—is not just optimistic but also clearly wildly inaccurate."
–Ben Ramalingam, Aid on the Edge of Chaos

Quotes for the Day - December 9th 2024

 Today was a rich day for quotes. Almost all of the ones in my Readwise feed resonated with me.

"Most people tend to think in terms of dichotomies: strong or weak, hardball or softball, win or lose. But that kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed. It’s based on power and position rather than on principle."
–Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"Collective ways of working such as collaboration and genuine partnerships are key aspects of climate integration and can support different stakeholders to enable climate integration across development programs."
–weadapt.org, Climate Risk Integration: A New Era for Aid and Development Programming - weADAPT

"You are the detective, always asking, “Why is this person telling me this?” understanding that speakers sometimes may not know the answer themselves. Good listeners help speakers figure that out by asking questions and encouraging elaboration."
–Kate Murphy, You're Not Listening

"Resilience thinking is the capacity to envisage your system as a self-organizing system with thresholds, linked domains, and cycles. Resilience practice is the capacity to work with the system in order to apply resilience thinking, to manage its resilience."
–Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice

"Not causing harm requires staying awake. Part of being awake is slowing down enough to notice what we say and do. The more we witness our emotional chain reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain. It becomes a way of life to stay awake, slow down, and notice."
–Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart

"Being open with your insecurities paradoxically makes you more confident and charismatic around others. The pain of honest confrontation is what generates the greatest trust and respect in your relationships. Suffering through your fears and anxieties is what allows you to build courage and perseverance."
–Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Quotes for December 8 - 2024

 Good morning all - I hope you are finding this Sunday morning a good one where you find yourself.

Here is a subset of the quote that showed in my Readwise feed this morning.

Quotes for today, Sunday (not Sundae), December 8th

"For most of the history of Western political thought, writers focused on demagoguery only in the context of arguing that democracy was a poor form of government. Aristocratic critics such as Thucydides and Plato blamed popular leaders for dismissing experts, exploiting the poor and soaking the rich, sparking factional violence, and starting foreign wars to distract the populace from their tyrannical tendencies."
–nytimes.com, Opinion | How to Protect America From the Next Donald Trump

"For me, if you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback."
–Brené  Brown, Rising Strong

"If the upside of strongman rule is the ability to make difficult decisions quickly, the downside is that it greatly raises the odds of making costly blunders. The consensus-based decision-making of the earlier era might have been slow and inefficient, but it prevented radical or risky ideas from becoming policy."
–foreignaffairs.com, China’s Coming Upheaval

Systems Quotes

"A system is more than the sum of its parts. It may exhibit adaptive, dynamic, goal-seeking, self-preserving, and sometimes evolutionary behavior."
–Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems

"A shadow network is not active all the time and so does not have maintenance costs, but it can be quickly brought into play without the normal period of trust building required for a network to operate."
–Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice

"An analysis of global governance in Science (Walker et al. 2009) found that the global institutions that do exist tend to address the concerns they were set up to deal with largely in a silo fashion."
–Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice

Seventh of 12, Twenty Twenty-Four - Quotes

Quotes for the Day

 

"You’re not a lump of clay, but you’re not a god either."
–Matthew Hutson, The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking

"Snowden argues for local engagement in multiple parallel safe-to-fail actions. These actions are generated from narratives gathered using a technique known as distributed ethnography, which reveals the potential that is in the system."
–Danny Burns and Stuart Worsley, Navigating Complexity in International Development

"personal company is the most important factor for long-term satisfaction."
–weforum.org, A Neuroscientist Who Studies Decision-Making Reveals the Most Important Choice You Can Make

Systems Quotes

"We highlight inclusive interventions such as education and capacity building, development of alliances and partnerships, and enabling sustainable livelihoods, or governance arrangements led by Indigenous peoples and local communities or private actors, as levers to promote positive transformations in the social-ecological systems of protected areas."
–Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras and Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras, Ecology & Society: Leverage Points and Levers of Inclusive Conservation in Protected Areas

"We began with some boundaries: in order to be successful for water utilities, we needed to focus on systems (ecological, infrastructure, social); we needed to understand how these systems might be experiencing change; and we needed to measure resilience."
–Home, Water Utilities: Moving From Risk to Resilience — Alliance for Global Water Adaptation

"Promoting the involvement of local people and supporting adaptive learning are two important aspects of managing the resilience of social-ecological systems."
–Brian Walker PhD, Resilience Thinking

Quotes for December 6

Good morning, everyone - or good "time of day" to you since I have no idea what time of day it is for you. 

Later this morning I plan to go for a run - but until that time I will post a quote here for you. (Not a very interesting story, I know; too short, and the plot is, well, pointless)

These are quotes on my Readwise feed that resonated with me this morning.

Today's Quotes

"Remarkably unchanged, mycelium has persisted for more than half of the four billion years of life’s history, through countless cataclysms and catastrophic global transformations."
–Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life

"Because of the complex interdependencies, efforts to solve one aspect of a problem may reveal or create other problems."
–Sustainable Communities, Ecosystem Services and Human Well‐being

"In Frederick Douglass’ 1869 speech “The Composite Nation,” he defends Chinese immigrants and says that he believes we're going to become a multiracial, multiethnic democracy one day. For a former slave to be saying that is what makes America unique, and is equally part of America's story."
–Anand Giridharadas, Ro Khanna Wants Progressives to Embrace Patriotism, Aspiration, and Experimentation

HBR's Management Tip of the Day

And while I am here I will add a bonus from Harvard Business Review, their Tip of the Day.

Today’s Tip

Use Notes to Calm Your Public-Speaking Nerves

Speaking on a stage can feel daunting—the elevated platform, unfamiliar setting, and all eyes on you can make your mind go blank. If you’re a nervous public speaker, don’t overlook the power of good notes. They can make a big difference in your delivery, especially if it’s your first time on a stage. 

Before you start your presentation, set your notes on a lectern or a small table on the stage. If your mind goes blank or you lose your place, start walking toward your notes as you’re speaking. This purposeful movement looks natural and ensures you’re in position to glance down and find your place without disrupting your flow.

Having a water bottle on stage is also useful. When stuck, take a sip while nodding thoughtfully, glance at your notes, and then continue. This brief pause feels natural and helps you reset without drawing attention to your lapse. If you find yourself stuck and unable to look down at your notes, acknowledge the pause with humble humor. Try saying something like, “I had the most brilliant point, and it just escaped me!” Or you can pause for questions: “Let me stop here and see what questions you have, then I’ll summarize what we’ve covered so far.” Confidence and authenticity will keep your audience engaged.

This tip is adapted from “Nervous About Public Speaking? Here’s How to Use Notes Like a Pro.” by Allison Shapira.

Quotes for Thursday, December 5th

 Good morning December 5 - Happy Thursday.

Here are some quotes that popped up on my Readwise stream this morning.

“White people in this country will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this—which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never—the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed.”
– newyorker.com, Sunday Reading: Honoring Black History Month

"The New Deal and World War II transformed the U.S. economy from a market free-for-all into a system that was still capitalist, but with many of the rough edges sanded off."
– Paul Krugman, The Two Economists Who Fought Over How Free the Free Market Should Be

"That's actually the essence of authoritarianism and fascism: You arrange government so that you can be violent and corrupt, and get away with it."
– salon.com, “Empathy and Kindness Are for Weak People”: Why Trump Wants His MAGA Supporters to Be Cruel

" 'Fascism exists at the level of Stage One within all democratic countries—not excluding the United States. “Giving up free institutions," especially the freedoms of unpopular groups, is recurrently attractive to citizens of Western democracies, including some Americans. We know from tracing its path that fascism does not require a spectacular “march" on some capital to take root; seemingly anodyne decisions to tolerate lawless treatment of national “enemies" is enough.' "
– Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

Quotes for Wednesday, December 4th – December the 4th be with you.

Good happy December 4. Everyone, Wednesday, midweek, all these awesome aspects about the day. It's a short week for me. I'll be out of the office Thursday and Friday. So, really, today is my Friday.

Unlike yesterday, today, there were a lot of great quotes in my feed and I share a subset that resonated for me.

Quotes

"What work means to people often has less to do with what tasks they are actually performing than with how they relate to and compare themselves to other people."
– Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder

"Somehow we've entered a world in which we obsess over structural reforms and standardized tests, but skirt around the moral and psychological traits that are at the heart of actual success."
– sfgate.com, Self-Control Is the Key to Success (I know, an odd source, but that is what my app (readwise) captured. If interested, search the title.

"The key to sustainability lies in enhancing the resilience of social-ecological systems, not in optimizing isolated components of the system."
– Brian Walker PhD, Resilience Thinking

"When it comes to the long run, researchers struggle to find any measurable connection between our intentions and our actual behaviour"
– Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes

"It was a brilliant idea: You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing."
– Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings, and Albert R. Hibbs, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (The cite is almost as long as the quote!)

"This book will show that while economic institutions are critical for determining whether a country is poor or prosperous, it is politics and political institutions that determine what economic institutions a country has."
– Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson, Why Nations Fail

Quote for December 3rd

 Hello December 3. I could only find one quote today that was worth sharing. It was close. I almost didn't have any, but quite honestly, it doesn't really matter whether I find one or not. It matters only that there is a quote out there that resonates, so if one doesn't resonate that day, I don't have a quote, and that's fine.

"When under attack, our heart can take a similarly sudden and unconscious turn. When faced with pressure and strong opinions, we often stop worrying about the goal of adding to the pool of meaning and start looking for ways to win, punish, or keep the peace." 

– Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Quotes for December 2, 2024

Good morning all – it is Monday, December 2 the 49th week of the year, and these are two quotes that popped up in my stream this morning that resonated enough for me that I captured them and post them.

"Hermeneutic (in the context of hermeneutical injustice)  A methodology of interpretation and interpretive meaning. Hermeneutical injustice refers to the challenges that disadvantaged groups face when trying to understand and communicate their experiences to others; there is a lack of concepts that resonates with their own sense of meaning. These experiences of injustice are usually embedded within a culture’s shared meaning structure and reflective of the dominant members of the culture." 

– Dave Snowden, Zhen Goh, Sue Borchardt, Riva Greenberg, Boudewijn Bertsch, and Sonja Blignaut, Cynefin - Weaving Sense-Making Into the Fabric of Our World

" 'The U.S. military is no more capable of operating without the Internet than Amazon.com would be. Logistics, command and control, fleet positioning, everything down to targeting, all rely on software and other Internet-related technologies. And all of it is just as insecure as your home computer, because it is all based on the same flawed underlying technologies and uses the same insecure software and hardware.' " 

–Richard A. Clarke, Robert Knake, Cyberwar

Today's Quotes for December 1st, 2024

 # Today's Quotes

Quotes for December 1

Quotes

"Slowly, it came into focus. This small web of people keeping one another afloat. All these miniscule interactions—a friendly wave, a pencil sketch, some plastic beads strung up a nylon cord—they might not look like much from the outside, but for the people caught inside that web? They might be everything, the very tethers that keep one bound to this planet." (Lulu Miller, Why Fish Don't Exist)

"high inequality is associated with higher rates of crime, greater risk of stress-related illness, and greater political polarization. These problems degrade the quality of life for everyone, including the affluent. This may be why people are happier in more equal places even after adjusting for their individual incomes." (Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder)

"I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." (Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People)

"Lay hold of today's task, and you will not need to depend so much upon to-morrow's. While we are postponing, life speeds by." (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters From a Stoic)

Systems Quotes for Sunday.

"Second, systems thinking catalyzes collaboration because people learn how they collectively create the unsatisfying results they experience." (David Peter Stroh, Systems Thinking for Social Change)

"a frequent issue is the highly linear logic, which suggests the world is much simpler and more predictable than in fact it is:" (Ben Ramalingam, Aid on the Edge of Chaos)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

More on ANA's Boarding Music

The boarding music used by All Nippon Airways (ANA), a Japanese airline, is a well-known and distinctive piece of music that has been played before takeoff on ANA flights for many years. The piece is called "Takarajima," which means "Treasure Island" in Japanese. It was composed by Japanese musician and composer Taro Hakase specifically for ANA.

"Takarajima" is a lively and upbeat piece of music that features a combination of classical and contemporary elements, including strings, piano, and percussion. It was first introduced as ANA's boarding music in 1996, and has since become a signature part of the airline's brand and identity.

According to ANA, the choice of "Takarajima" as their boarding music was intended to evoke a sense of excitement and anticipation among passengers as they prepare to embark on their journey. The music is meant to create a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere and to convey the idea that each ANA flight is a special and unique experience.

In addition to its use as boarding music, "Takarajima" has also been used in ANA's marketing and advertising campaigns and has become a recognizable symbol of the airline's stated commitment to quality and customer service.

Overall, in their view, the use of "Takarajima" as ANA's boarding music reflects the airline's attention to detail and commitment to providing a memorable and enjoyable flying experience for its passengers.

Why Do Belgian Beers Come in 11.2 oz/330 ml Containers?

Belgian beers are often bottled in 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottles due to historical reasons and the preference of Belgian brewers. This size is unique to Belgium and is not commonly used in other countries.

One reason for the use of 11.2 oz bottles is related to the history of beer production in Belgium. In the early 20th century, Belgium had a large number of small breweries, and beer was often sold in small bottles or served on tap. The 11.2 oz bottle size was common at that time and became popular among Belgian beer drinkers.

Another reason is the preference of Belgian brewers for smaller bottle sizes. Unlike in some other countries where large beer bottles are popular, Belgian brewers prefer smaller bottles as they believe that they help to maintain the quality and taste of their beer. Additionally, smaller bottles allow them to produce a wider variety of beers, as smaller batches can be bottled without the risk of spoilage.

Finally, the use of 11.2 oz bottles may also be related to the country's tax laws. In Belgium, beer is subject to a progressive tax based on the volume produced. By using smaller bottles, breweries can avoid the higher tax rates that apply to larger bottles.

So, in the end, the reason why Belgian beers are often bottled in 11.2 oz bottles is due to historical reasons, the preference of Belgian brewers for smaller bottles, and tax considerations.

Ten Essential Things to Know About Listicles

1. That they are a click-baiters dream come true.

2. That they force the author of the listicle to come up with whatever random thoughts or ideas in order to meet the number of items they promised.

3. That despite their promise for easy and fast information, context is still king and you really should do your research.

4. That despite list item 2, I am seriously debating just stopping the list here.

5. That I could, though, use this opportunity to try to sell you some product or service, since we are all just customers.

6. That AI will likely be producing a ton of these in short order as a means to direct people toward products and services.

7. That if you see a link and really want to click on it, that was the plan. Watch your wallet. 

8. That you really should get more sleep and treat your physical and mental self much better than you do.

9. That “things” don’t add meaning or establish purpose in your life. That using “things” as symbols of status really is, in the end, very empty and that you have the choice to fill that emptiness with more things (only to feel the same or worse emptiness) or to get off that treadmill and connect with people as you are. 

10. That you should communicate with your family and friends and those that love you more often, not to guilt you, but really they do, in the end, add the most meaning and purpose to your life.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boarding Music to the Wind

OK, I cannot be the only one to hear "Tara's Theme" from "Gone with the Wind" in ANA's boarding music.

Podcast Favorites: In Our Time: Orwell's Animal Farm

On this great podcast episode of "In Our Time" (yes, BBC4) the host (Melvyn Bragg) and guests have a very interesting discussion about the book "Animal Farm", and its allegorical meaning, particularly in the time it was written (1944). Discussions give very interesting look into Orwell as a person as well as search out how well Orwell "got it right" with respect to "the Old Left". Highly recommended (particularly in these Orwellian times). Download the episode here: High Bandwidth, Lower Bandwidth